One of the primary roles of learning and development professionals is to research, develop, deliver and evaluate various forms of skills and knowledge training programmes in the organisations for which they work. While these roles can often be challenging, what can often be even more challenging is persuading stakeholders and decision-makers of the value of training and development. This is equally true of internal training professionals as it is of external providers.

If the ability to influence and persuade others is such a critical business skill for training and development professionals, what do we know about how the influence process works? All of us will almost certainly know people who have that apparently inborn ability to influence others. Those lucky few, who appear able to very skilfully and elegantly engage others, sway the opinions of those that are undecided and persuade their colleagues and co-workers to see their point of view. What can be frustrating about these born persuaders, though, is that they are often unable to explain how they have come to possess such an important and essential business skill. They may consider their ability to influence and persuade others to be a skill they have been born with, while we stand back in admiration and witness them practising their art, often frustrated at the fact that they can get others to say yes to their requests when we can’t, even when sometimes we are asking for the same thing!

You can download this article free by subscribing and logging in as a Full TJ member

Price: £9.00

Related News

• Peter Honey
• Drama in training
• Super Models

Related Discussion Topics

• Influencing skills
• Influencing skills
• Influencing Skills

Latest News

• Skills for Life target achieved two years early
• The Institute of IT Training broadens its range of training awards
• Welcome for Equality Bill
• Inspirational single dad scoops learning and training award
• Retail sector talks shop with students